JP4856192B2 - Method for closing a communication link - Google Patents

Description

  This application claims priority to US application Ser. No. 11 / 312,773, filed Dec. 21, 2005, under the name “Method for Closing a Communication Link”. Are incorporated herein by reference.

  The present invention relates to a system for controlling the operation of a remote device to which wireless communication is linked, and more particularly, wireless communication using a second wireless medium by scanning the remote device with a first wireless medium. The present invention relates to a system for controlling the operation of a remote device to be performed.

  Modern society has rapidly introduced and relied on portable devices for wireless communications. For example, mobile phones continue to grow exponentially in the global market due to technological advances in both communication quality and device functionality. These wireless communication devices (WCDs) have become popular for both personal and business use, allowing users to send and receive voice, text, and graphic data from many geographic locations. The communication networks utilized by these devices cover different broadcast distances over different frequencies, each having desirable advantages for various applications.

  A cellular network enables WCD communication over a large geographical area. These network technologies began with the first generation (1G) analog mobile phones that provided basic voice communications in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and are now emerging 4G planned for the period 2006-2007. Even streaming digital video content is generally divided by generation. GSM is an example of a widely used 2G digital cellular network that communicates in the 900 MHz to 1.8 GHz band in Europe and 1.9 GHz in the United States. This network provides voice communication and also supports the transmission of text data via a short messaging service (SMS). SMS allows WCD to send and receive text messages of up to 160 characters and provides data transfer at 9.6 Kbps to packet network, ISDN, and POTS users. In addition to simple text, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), an extended messaging system that allows transmission of sound, graphics, and video files, has also become available on certain devices. Soon, emerging technologies such as the Digital Television Broadcasting Standard for Portable Devices (DVB-H) will make streaming digital video and other similar content available via direct broadcast to WCD. Long distance communication networks such as GSM are well-accepted means for sending and receiving data for cost, traffic and legal reasons, but they are suitable for all data applications. Is not limited.

  Short range wireless networks provide a communication solution that avoids some of the problems found in large cellular networks. Bluetooth ™ is an example of a short-range wireless technology that is rapidly gaining acceptance in the market. Bluetooth ™ compatible WCDs can transmit and receive data at a rate of 720 Kbps within a 10 meter range and can transmit up to 100 meters with the addition of power boosting. The user is not actively promoting the Bluetooth ™ network. Instead, multiple devices within each other's operating range automatically form a network group called a “piconet”. Any device can promote itself to be a piconet master, thereby controlling data exchange with up to seven “active” slaves and 255 “park” slaves. Active slaves exchange data based on the master clock timing. Since the park slave remains synchronized with the master, it monitors the beacon signal and waits for an active slot to become available. These devices continuously switch between various active communication modes and power save modes to transmit data to other piconet members. In addition to Bluetooth ™, other common short-range wireless networks include WLAN (in which a “Wi-Fi” local access point that communicates according to the IEEE 802.11 standard is an example), WUSB , UWB, etc. All of these wireless media have features and advantages that make them suitable for various applications.

  A wireless communication device that incorporates some or all of the above features is a powerful tool to increase productivity. Tasks that previously required multiple individual devices to work together can be performed using these single devices. Phone, email, instant messaging, internet browser, facsimile, audio and video recording functions, audio and video playback, word processing, scheduling, contact manager, conferencing tools, and various other applications are all contained in one small package. The The small device size in this case is advantageous in terms of carrying the device, but the reduced size may impede the convenience of the device, and the user can improve the convenience of the application and the productivity of the user. It will be facilitated to seek to temporarily integrate other accessory devices into the primary WCD to help.

  WCD accessory devices originally required physical fixtures, such as cables or wires, to use. The limited number of physical connection ports on a small WCD limited the use of these accessories to one or perhaps two at a time, and inevitably caused inconvenient wire entanglement. With advances in technology, wireless communication media such as Bluetooth ™ have been developed as an alternative to these wires. Currently, the WCD can maintain active connections with multiple satellite accessory devices without the physical constraints of communication cables or wires.

  As communication technologies such as Bluetooth ™ grow, applications for these types of short-range media continue to expand. Currently, users can not only wirelessly connect multiple remote accessory devices to the WCD, but also wireless access points for distributing information with other wireless communication devices such as mobile terminals encountered by other users Active communication may also occur. As a result, WCD can quickly become overwhelmed by the number of concurrent radio activities performed on a particular medium, and thus all transaction performance will be affected. While users can attempt to manually maintain the activity and connection status of all these devices, current connection management systems use the cumbersome interface that negates some of the benefits gained over wireless communications. I need.

  Therefore, what is needed is a system that allows a user to easily manage the operating modes of various remote devices wirelessly connected to a WCD. This operational management should not require operation of various settings and control menus within the WCD and / or remote device, depending on the physical relationship between the devices, such as the proximity of the remote device to the WCD. The device should be able to change modes immediately. The mode change should be acknowledged by the remote device and / or WCD via some kind of audible or visible signal. The current mode of the remote device and / or WCD should be determinable by the mode change indicator.

  The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus, a system, and a computer program for controlling operation of a remote device via wireless communication. The remote device includes resources for communication over at least two different short-range wireless media having different operating ranges. By sensing a communication signal such as a scanning signal from the first wireless medium, the operation mode of the remote device and / or scanning device already in active communication via the second communication medium can be changed. The mode change in one or both devices can be acknowledged by an indicator perceptible to the user of both devices, which should also be a determinant of the current mode of each device.

  In at least one embodiment of the invention, the remote device is in active communication with the WCD via the second communication medium. The user wants to complete the current task that requires the remote device and terminate the active connection with this accessory. The user will then move the remote device within the effective scan range of the first wireless medium in the WCD, thereby scanning the transponder in the remote device. As a result of this wireless transaction, the active connection between the two devices currently being performed by the second wireless medium can be terminated.

  In a further embodiment of the invention, the mode of one or both of the remote device and the primary WCD is changed as a result of the scanning transaction in the first wireless medium. Moving the remote device back within the effective scan range of the first wireless medium can result in further mode changes of one or both of the remote device and the primary WCD. In addition, audible, visible, or tactile indicators can be triggered when the remote device and WCD change modes. This indicator can notify the device user of the successful mode change and the current mode of one or both devices.

The present invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Although the invention has been described in preferred embodiments, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I. Wireless communication over different wireless communication networks WCD both sends and receives information over various wireless communication networks, each with different advantages in terms of speed, range, quality (error correction), security (encoding), etc. It can be performed. These characteristics affect the amount of information that can be transferred to the receiving device and the information transfer period. FIG. 1 includes a diagram of a WCD and how it interacts with various types of wireless networks.

  In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, user 110 owns WCD 100. This device can be anything from a basic mobile terminal to a more complex device such as a wireless-enabled palmtop or laptop computer. Near Field Communication (NFC) 130 includes various transponder-type interactions that typically require only the scanning device to be self-powered. WCD 100 scans source 120 via short-range communication. The transponder in the source 120 can respond with data stored in the transponder using the energy and / or clock signal contained in the scanning signal, as in RFID communications. These types of technologies typically have an effective transmission range from a few inches to a few feet, and can deliver 96 bits to more than megabits (or 125 kilobytes) of stored data relatively quickly. These features make such techniques ideal for identification purposes such as receiving public transport provider account numbers, automatic electronic door lock key codes, credit or debit transaction account numbers, etc. .

  The transmission range between two devices can be extended if both devices can perform high power communication. Short-range active communication 140 includes applications where both the sending and receiving devices are active. Exemplary situations include the case where the user 110 comes within the effective transmission range of Bluetooth ™, WLAN, UWB, WUSB, or other access points. In the case of Bluetooth ™, a network can be automatically established to send information to the WCD 100 owned by the user 110. This data may include information of informative, educational or entertainment nature. Except that all information must be transferred when the user 110 is within the effective transmission range of the access point, the amount of information carried is not limited. For example, if the user is walking around a shopping mall or walking down the street, this time period is extremely limited. Due to the high complexity of these wireless networks, additional time is required to establish the initial connection to WCD 100, and there are many devices waiting for service in the area close to the access point. This time can be further increased. The effective transmission range of these networks depends on the technology and can range from 32 feet to over 300 feet with additional power boosting.

  Using the long-distance network 150, the WCD 100 is provided with communication coverage that is virtually uninterrupted. Relay various communication transactions around the world using land radio stations or satellites. Although these systems are extremely functional, use of these systems may be charged to the user 110 on a minute-by-minute basis, without the additional charge for data transfer (eg, wireless Internet access). In addition, regulations targeting these systems create additional overhead for both users and providers, making use of these systems more complicated.

II. Wireless Communication Device As described above, the present invention can be implemented using various wireless communication devices. Therefore, it is important to understand the communication tools available to the user 110 before looking at the present invention in detail. For example, in the case of a mobile phone or other portable wireless device, the overall data processing capabilities of the device play an important role in facilitating transactions between the sending device and the receiving device.

  FIG. 2 discloses an exemplary module layout of a wireless communication device that can be used with the present invention. The WCD 100 is classified into modules that represent the functional aspects of the device. These functions can be performed by various combinations of software and / or hardware components described below.

  The control module 210 coordinates the operation of the device. Input can be received from various other modules included in WCD 100. For example, the interference sensing module 220 can sense a source of environmental interference within the effective transmission range of the wireless communication device using various techniques known in the art. The control module 210 can interpret these data inputs and send control commands to other modules in the WCD 100 accordingly.

  Communication module 230 incorporates all of the communication aspects of WCD 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the communication module 230 can include, for example, a long range communication module 232, a short range communication module 234, and a machine readable data module 236. The communication module 230 uses at least these sub-modules to receive many communications of various types from both local and long-range sources and transmits data to receiving devices within the broadcast range of the WCD 100. The communication module 230 can be triggered by a control module 210 or by a control resource local to the module that responds to sensed messages, environmental impacts, and / or other devices in proximity to the WCD 100.

  User interface module 240 includes visible, audible, and tactile elements that allow user 110 to receive data from and enter data into the device. Data entered by the user 110 can be interpreted by the control module 210 to affect the behavior of the WCD 100. User input data may also be transmitted by communication module 230 to other devices within the effective transmission range. Other devices in the transmission range can also send information to the WCD 100 via the communication module 230 so that the control module 210 forwards this information to the user interface module 240 for presentation to the user. You can also

  Application module 250 incorporates all other hardware and / or software applications on WCD 100. These applications can include sensors, interfaces, utilities, interpreters, data applications, etc., called by the control module 210 to read information provided by the various modules, and then requesting modules in the WCD 100 Can supply information.

  FIG. 3 discloses an exemplary structural layout of WCD 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention that can be used to implement the functionality of the modular system already described in FIG. The processor 300 controls the overall operation of the device. As shown in FIG. 3, the processor 300 is coupled to communication sections 310, 320, and 340. The processor 300 may be implemented with one or more microprocessors, each capable of executing software instructions stored in the memory 330.

  Memory 330 may include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), and / or flash memory, and stores information in the form of data and software components (also referred to herein as modules). . The data stored by the memory 330 can be associated with a particular software component. Furthermore, this data can be associated with a database such as a bookmark database or a business database for scheduling, email, etc.

  Software components stored by memory 330 include instructions that can be executed by processor 300. Various types of software components can be stored in the memory 330. For example, the memory 330 can store software components that control the operation of the communication sections 310, 320, and 340. The memory 330 can also store firewalls, service guide managers, bookmark databases, user interface managers, and any communication utility modules needed to support the WCD 100.

  Long distance communication 310 performs functions related to the exchange of information over a large geographic area (such as a cellular network) via an antenna. These communication methods include the technologies from the aforementioned 1G to 3G and the fourth generation streaming video transmission in the near future. In addition to basic voice communication (eg, via GSM), long-range communication 310 establishes a data communication session such as a general packet radio service (GPRS) session and / or a universal mobile communication system (UMTS) session. Can work as follows. The long-range communication 310 may also operate to send and receive messages such as short messaging service (SMS) messages and / or multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages.

  With a broadcast receiver 312 that operates as a subset of the long-range communication 310 or as an independent module (not shown) individually connected to the processor 300, the WCD 100 is a digital television broadcast standard (DVB-H) for portable devices, etc. Broadcast messages can be received over other media. These transmissions can be encoded such that only certain designated receiving devices can access the broadcast content and can include text, audio, or video information. In at least one embodiment, WCD 100 can receive these broadcasts and determine whether the device is authorized to display the received content using information included in the broadcast signal.

  The short-range communication 320 has a function related to information exchange over a short-range wireless network. As described above and shown in FIG. 3, examples of such short range communication 320 are not limited to Bluetooth ™, WLAN, UWB, and wireless USB connections. Accordingly, the short-range communication 320 performs a function related to establishment of a short-range connection and processing related to transmission / reception of information through such a connection.

  The short range input device 340, which is also shown in FIG. 3, can provide functionality related to short range scanning of machine readable data. For example, the processor 300 can control the short-range input device 340 to generate an RF signal to activate the RFID transponder and can further control the reception of the signal from the RFID transponder. Other short-range scanning methods for machine-readable data reading that can be supported by the short-range input device 340 are related to IR communication, linear and 2-D (eg QR) barcode reader (UPC label interpretation) And other types of encoded data that can be provided on a tag using magnetic, UV, conductive or suitable inks. In order for the short-range input device 340 to scan machine-readable data of the type described above, the input device may be a photodetector, magnetic detector, CCD, or other known in the art for interpreting machine-readable information. Can be included.

  As further shown in FIG. 3, a user interface 350 is also coupled to the processor 300. The user interface 350 allows information exchange with the user. FIG. 3 shows that the user interface 350 includes a user input 360 and a user output 370. User input 360 may include one or more components that allow a user to enter information. Examples of such components include keypads, touch screens, and microphones. User output 370 allows the user to receive information from the device. Thus, the user output 370 can include various components such as a display, light emitting diode (LED), haptic emitter, and one or more audio speakers. Exemplary displays include liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and other video displays.

  WCD 100 may also include one or more transponders 380. This is basically a passive device that the processor 300 can program with information delivered in response to a scan from an external source. For example, an RFID scanner attached to the passage can emit high frequencies continuously. When the person carrying the device including the transponder 380 passes through the door, the transponder is energized and can respond with information identifying the device, person, etc.

  Hardware corresponding to the communication sections 310, 312, 320, and 340 enables transmission and reception of signals. Accordingly, these portions can include components (eg, electronics) that perform functions such as modulation, demodulation, amplification, and filtering. These portions can be controlled locally or can be controlled by the processor 300 in accordance with a software communication component stored in the memory 330.

  The elements shown in FIG. 3 can be constructed and combined by various techniques to provide the functionality described in FIG. One such technique involves one or more separate hardware components corresponding to processor 300, communication sections 310, 312, and 320, memory 330, short-range input device 340, user interface 350, transponder 380, and the like. Including coupling through further bus interfaces. Alternatively, any or all of the individual components can be replaced by programmable logic circuits, gateways, ASICs, multichip modules, or other types of integrated circuits that are programmed to replicate the functionality of a stand-alone device. . In addition, each of these components is coupled to a power source such as a removable and / or rechargeable battery (not shown).

  User interface 350 is also included in memory 330 and can interact with communication utility software components that can establish service sessions using long-range communication 310 and / or short-range communication 320. The communication utility components include various routines that allow services to be received from a remote device via a medium such as Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) variants such as Compact HTML, etc. be able to.

  When used in WAP communication with a remote server, the device functions as a WAP client. To provide this functionality, software components can include WAP client software components such as Wireless Markup Language (WML) browser, WMLScript engine, Push Subsystem, and Wireless Medium Stack.

  An application (not shown) can interact with the WAP client software to provide various communication services. Examples of such communication services include headline news, exchange rates, sports results, stock price information, weather forecasts, multilingual representation dictionaries, shopping and dining information, local traffic (eg, bus, train, and / or subway) times. Including receipt of Internet-based content such as tables, personal online calendars, and online travel and banking services.

  WAP-enabled devices can access small files called decks, each of which includes a smaller page called a card. The card is small enough to fit in a small display area referred to herein as a microbrowser. The micro browser's small size and small file size are well suited to address the low bandwidth communication constraints introduced by low memory devices and wireless links.

  The card is described in Wireless Markup Language (WML), specially developed for single-handed navigation without a small screen and keyboard. WML is scalable to be compatible with a wide range of displays that span two-line text displays and large LCD screens found on devices such as smartphones, PDAs, and personal communicators. The WML card can include a program written in WMLScript similar to Java (registered trademark) Script. However, by omitting some unnecessary features found in these other scripting languages, WMLScript reduces memory and processing requirements.

  CHTML is a subset of the standard HTML command set adapted for use with small computing devices (eg, mobile communicators, PDAs, etc.). This language allows portable or portable devices to interact more freely on the Internet. In view of the power, processing, memory, and display constraints of small computing devices, CHTML is a streamlined version that eliminates the extras from standard HTML and is suitable for these constraints. For example, much of the support for more advanced image maps, backgrounds, fonts, frames and JPEG images has been removed. Furthermore, since the CHTML display is assumed to fit within the screen of the portable device, the scroll function is not supported. CHTML is also designed to operate without two-dimensional cursor movement. Instead, it can be operated with only four buttons, which allows for the implementation of CHTML across a wider variety of small computing devices.

III. FIG. 4 discloses various other wireless or remote devices that can be used with the present invention. WCD 100 can interact with one or more remote devices individually or simultaneously. Items 400 and 410 in FIG. 4 are examples of accessories that can be used with WCD to increase user 110 productivity. Headset 400 can be used, for example, to convey audio information from user 110 to WCD 100 during a telephone call. The remote device can have a very short transmission range (represented by a small dashed circle surrounding the headset 400) due to the small nature of the device, as long as the user 110 wears the remote device. For example, the WCD 100 is also on the user (holding, fastened to a belt, stored in a pocket, etc.). The keyboard 410 has a slightly longer range. This remote device can be used with WCD 100 as a user interface device for typing information into email programs, schedules, word processors, and the like. It is important to note that the WCD 100 can be operated using both the headset 400 and the keyboard 410. When both devices operate using Bluetooth ™, WCD 100 can serve as a master creating a piconet that includes both remote devices. In this way, the user 110 can type notes about the call while talking on the phone. Headset 400 and keyboard 410 are only two examples of the myriad accessory remote devices that can be used with WCD 100.

  Items 420 and 430 can also communicate with WCD 100 using a communication medium such as Bluetooth ™. The mobile phone 420 can contact the WCD 100 or be contacted by the WCD 100 to form a piconet, in which case either device can be the master. The two devices can then exchange information such as business or home contact information, advertising information, ticketing information, etc. Service points 430 can be set up to perform similar functions for local, commercial, educational, or personal use. The service point 430 may be located in an area where pedestrians gather, such as a shopping mall, or may be attached to public transportation, as the case may be. Various users who fall within the transmission range of service point 430 can be automatically contacted to receive information on public transport timetables, special events, sales and sale notifications, restaurant menus, and more. The user 110 can set a filter in the WCD so that specific information can be saved for later display. As with the remote devices 400 and 410, it is shown that as the size of the circle surrounding each device increases, the relative effective transmission range of each device increases from left to right. In the case of service point 430, the user may be contacted as soon as the user enters within 10-20 feet of the device. This extended range is required because the user 110 only needs to stay within the transmission distance of the service point 430 for a short period of time.

  The device disclosed in FIG. 4 is presented merely as an illustration and should not be considered a limitation on various embodiments of the present invention. Any electronic device that can communicate wirelessly using a compatible wireless medium can interact with the WCD or, in some cases, can be controlled by the WCD. Examples of a number of electronic devices currently being manufactured that include this wireless communication capability include digital cameras, portable media players, televisions, video and DVD players with short-range wireless connectivity.

  FIG. 5 illustrates a situation where all of the remote devices shown in FIG. 4 attempt to interact with WCD 100 all at the same time. The total amount of “activity” shown in this figure demonstrates potential delay problems that many active remote devices may encounter. As a master device, WCD 100 must divide the available transaction bandwidth among all of these devices, thus potentially slowing down the overall system performance. Slow performance will adversely affect the operation of all slave devices. Audio transmission and reception may be interrupted or delayed, keystrokes may be lost, and data transmission time between various remote devices may be increased, thus allowing the entire upload / download time to be allowed May not be able to complete within.

  One way to prevent these problems from occurring is to disconnect remote devices that are not currently participating in active communication with WCD 100. An obvious way to do this is to power off the remote device. However, the user 110 may not want to deactivate the remote device because it is expected to be used in the near future. The conventional method of removing this device from the piconet without powering off the device is that the user enters the setup process for one or both devices involved in the piconet and manually instructs the remote device to disconnect. This process can include navigating through multiple setting screens to arrive at the correct control identifier, which is undesirable for the user. As will be described, the present invention can achieve the goal of manually removing the device from the piconet in a quick and simple manner without having to turn off the device.

IV Control Implemented Using At least Two Communication Media FIG. 6 discloses a process associated with at least one embodiment of the present invention. The headset 400 can also be represented as a schematic diagram that includes a processing and application section 600, a transponder 610, and a main communication 620. Headset 400 is worn by user 110 during telephone conversations, dictation, and other times. The processing and application section 600 receives the audio output audio input from the user 110 and processes (eg, prepares, converts, compresses, etc.) this information for transmission to the WCD 100. The processing and application section 600 can include any combination of hardware and / or software necessary to perform these functions. Information is then transmitted to WCD 100 using main communication section 620. Conversely, the wireless information can be transmitted by WCD 100 to headset 400 via main communication section 620. This information can be processed by the processing and application section 600 into audio information. As a result, the user 110 can listen to the incoming audio.

  As previously mentioned, WCD 100 may include hardware and / or software for scanning machine readable information over short distances. In the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 6, headset 400 includes a transponder 610. At a short distance (shown as D1 in FIG. 6), the WCD 100 can scan the headpiece 400 to read information from the transponder 610. This scanning can utilize a short-range communication medium such as IR or RFID shown as “Medium 1”. Short range scanning can cause two effects. First, the scan can be detected by the headpiece 400 with respect to the voltage or current induced in the antenna coil of the transponder 610, for example. The headpiece 400 can use detection of these induced characteristics as a trigger for additional actions that trigger a mode change, for example. Further, the scanning using the wireless medium 1 allows the transponder 610 to return information such as identification information (for example, BD_ADDR or Bluetooth (trademark) ID) related to the headphone device to the WCD 100.

  It is important to note that the distance D1 shown in FIG. 6 is shorter than the distance D2. The second wireless medium (“Medium 2”) may be one of the short-range active wireless media shown in FIG. 1, such as Bluetooth ™. Medium 2 has a much longer distance than medium 1, which allows the user to place a remote device, such as headset 400, within the transmission range of medium 1 as opposed to the standard effective operating range of medium 2. It is necessary to move the device closer to the WCD 100 to enter.

V. Device Control Example FIG. 7 discloses a plurality of cashier applications according to embodiments of the present invention. In each of these applications, the mode of the remote device, and possibly further the scanning device, is changed by a short range scan of a machine readable transponder located within the remote device. For example, embodiment 700 can be used when user 110 has finished a telephone conversation and wants to disconnect Bluetooth ™ headset 400 from a piconet that is actively held by WCD 100. The headset 400 can be moved from a position within the transmission distance of the Bluetooth connection (example of medium 2 in FIG. 6) to the scanning range of the RFID reader in WCD 100 (example of medium 1 in FIG. 6). WCD 100 reads transponder 610 in headset 400 and, as a result, headset 400 is disconnected from the piconet by master WCD 100.

  Further, the mode change may occur due to reactions by both headset 400 and WCD 100. The headset 400 can sense an induced voltage or current in the antenna coil of the transponder 610, and this sensed voltage or current is switched from active communication mode to available / receive mode, power from full operation mode to power. Switch to save mode, and other mode changes can be triggered. In the second triggered response, a short-range scan of the machine-readable transponder by WCD 100 returns identification information such as a Bluetooth ™ ID, which causes WCD 100 to remove headset 400 from the active subscription of the piconet. Will be able to. A mode change in one or both devices can be acknowledged to the user via an audible, visible, or tactile signal. In the disclosed embodiment, an audible “beep!” Sound is emitted indicating that the mode of the remote device has changed. Other indicators include LED blinking, vibration, etc. as visual indications. Removal of headset 400 frees allocated resources in WCD 100 to allow other devices to connect or tasks already in progress (eg, downloading information from other wireless devices or access points) Additional bandwidth will be reallocated. WCD 100 can also record the identity of the disconnected remote device so that reconnection to this device can be quickly established for other required applications such as telephone calls. .

  Example 710 may occur after the example shown at 700. The user 110 may further decide that he / she does not want to receive incoming calls with the headset 400 or may wish to hide the headset 400 from all polling master devices in this area. In a process similar to 700, the user 110 can move the headset 400 closer to the WCD 100 so that the headset 400 can be scanned. Similarly, mode changes can be made on one or both of the devices in the transaction. In example 710, the induced voltage or current trigger described above can be used to change the mode of headset 400 so that it is hidden from all polling master devices within the transmission range (ie, Headset does not respond to polling queries). The WCD 100 can also receive a remote device ID as a result of scanning the headset 400 and record this number so that this device should not be contacted for incoming calls, should be contacted for outgoing calls May indicate that the contact should only be made under certain circumstances, such as a business incoming call, a call from a specific source telephone number, or an emergency call. These changes in device mode are acknowledged to the user 110 via an audible, visual or tactile display. In the disclosed embodiment, two beeps indicate that the headset 400 is currently in a mode that masks or hides its presence from the WCD 100.

  The change from the current mode to the next mode in any device can be based on various factors. For a less complex remote device, such as headset 400, the mode change can be based on the previous mode of operation. In this way, the mode can go from one that is a preset progression to another and eventually reset to the original mode. For more complex devices, a similar mode change algorithm can be combined with or replaced with the sensing of the environment and / or device related variables used to determine the appropriate next mode of the device. For example, the remote device can sense the time, date, location, number of other devices in the transmission range, power level, amount of free memory space, etc. The remote device can use these sensed conditions as input to an algorithm that determines the next optimal mode of operation.

  Furthermore, these same device management techniques can be used to automatically control the WCD 100. For example, if the user 110 is actively speaking on a phone call and the headset 400 enters a position where it is accidentally scanned, the headset 400 is mistakenly excluded from the piconet and the phone call is There is a possibility of disconnection. However, to prevent accidental disconnection of headset 400 in this scenario, take precautions to consider whether a phone call is actively connected when headset 400 is scanned. Can do. These responses to sensed input can be programmed as default settings by the manufacturer, which can be changed later by the user 110 via various menu-driven interfaces known in the art. . Changing the default settings may require consideration of the functionality of a particular remote device or a particular application involving both the remote device and the WCD 100.

  In the third embodiment 720, the headset 400 is scanned again by the WCD 100 after already entering the hidden mode described above. In this case, the voltage or current sensed at the antenna of the transponder 610 can trigger the power down of the headset 400. A long “beep!” Sound or other indicator may indicate to the user that the remote device is about to be powered down. This mode can also be triggered by the remote device being permanently within the scan range of WCD 100, regardless of the previous mode. The WCD 100 can read the remote ID included in the transponder 610 again to record that the power of the remote device has been turned off, and avoid resource consumption in an attempt to reconnect to the remote device. Other alternative modes, which are not shown, can include unhiding the remote device for use by the WCD 100, active connection from the remote device to the WCD 100, etc.

  FIG. 8A discloses a basic flowchart of a process according to at least one embodiment of the invention. In step 800 of this process, an active data exchange is already in progress. Data exchange is possible with any of the exemplary remote devices described above. In step 802, the status of data exchange is verified. If data exchange is still active, step 806 returns to step 800. However, when the data exchange is complete, the user 110 can decide to intervene manually. In step 804, the user 110 holds the remote device in proximity to the WCD 100, or vice versa, allowing the remote device to scan. The remote device is disconnected, and then an audible signal indicates that the active connection between the remote device and WCD 100 has been disconnected (step 808). However, in some situations, the user 110 may need to further change one or both modes of the wireless device. User 110 can similarly hold the device in close proximity at step 820 and continue scanning through short-range machine readable medium 1 and then read the transponder in the remote device and / or both Trigger a mode change on the device. At step 822, the mode of one or both devices changes and the audible signal displays the new mode of one or both devices. If no further mode changes are required, the device enters mode-specific operation (depending on the current mode of the device) at step 814 until a new connection query causes the device to enter active communication again. (Step 822 is linked back to Step 800 through “A”).

  A more comprehensive encounter between a remote device and WCD 100 according to at least one embodiment of the invention is disclosed in FIG. 8B. WCD 100 encounters the remote device via a scanning operation using wireless medium 1 (step 824). For example, WCD 100 can discover remote devices via scanning of embedded RFID transponders. As a result of this scan, WCD 100 receives information returned from the remote device regarding identification (eg, Bluetooth ™ address or BD_ADDR). In step 826, WCD 100 determines whether this remote device has been previously encountered based on the identification information. If the discovered remote device has been unknown until now (eg, there is no storage information associated with this BD_ADDR), WCD 100 stores this new identification information at steps 828 and 830, and wireless medium 2 (eg, Bluetooth ( Trademarks)) can be attempted to establish active communication. Alternatively, the information of the encountered device is retrieved from the memory, and in step 832 the current state of the remote device connection via the wireless medium 2 is determined. If the device is not currently connected, WCD 100 may attempt to reconnect to this remote device using recently read and / or stored information (step 836). Otherwise, the actively connected device can be disconnected from WCD 100 using the procedure as described above in FIG.

  The present invention is an improvement over existing systems because it automates the control process that would otherwise require significant configuration, management, and possibly manual intervention on behalf of the device user. The user need only move the remote device within the scanning proximity of the wireless communication device to make a mode change on one or both devices. The user can then be notified of a mode change of one or both devices via multiple audible, visual, or tactile techniques, so that the user can see the current mode of each device, and more It is possible to recognize whether or not the mode change is necessary. All of this management is simply driven by the proximity of one device to the other, for example, when the user is busy with the concurrent work of various operations and tasks on a daily basis, enable.

  Thus, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The extension and scope of the invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the appended claims and equivalents.

FIG. 2 discloses an exemplary wireless communication environment from short range to long range that can be used to describe at least one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 7 discloses a description of a module of an exemplary wireless communication device that can be used in at least one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 discloses an exemplary structural description of the wireless communication device already described in FIG. FIG. 6 discloses an exemplary remote device operable to communicate with a wireless communication device via the same wireless medium in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5 discloses a situation in which all of the foregoing exemplary remote devices of FIG. 4 attempt to communicate simultaneously with a wireless communication device over the same wireless medium in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 is an exemplary transaction diagram illustrating a remote device communicating wirelessly with a wireless communication device using at least two wireless media in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 discloses a plurality of exemplary mode change transactions for one or both of a remote device communicating with a wireless communication device in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a wireless mode change of one or both of a remote device communicating with a wireless communication device according to at least one embodiment of the invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an overall interaction between a wireless communication device and a newly discovered remote device according to at least one embodiment of the invention.

Explanation of symbols

100 Wireless communication device (WCD)
400 headset

Claims (11)

Transmitting a wireless scan for detecting a second device via a first wireless medium at a first device;
Receiving information including an identifier of the second device from the second device in response to scanning via the first wireless medium;
Identifying the second device based on the received information at the first device;
Determining, at the first device, whether there is an active link with the identified second device via a second wireless medium;
If the first device determines that there is an active link with the identified second device via a second wireless medium, it triggers a mode change and activates via the second wireless medium Disconnecting the link,
Including methods. If it is determined that there is no active link over the second wireless medium, triggering a mode change and establishing an active link with the identified second device. Item 2. The method according to Item 1 . The mode change includes at least one of a change from a master polling mode to a reception mode, a change from a telephone communication mode to another active mode, and a change from an active polling mode to a power save mode.
The method according to claim 1 . An audible, visible or tactile indicator is activated to confirm the mode change in the first device;
The method according to claim 1 . A scanner for receiving information including an identifier of the remote device from the remote device in response to scanning via the first wireless medium;
Identifying the remote device based on the received information, determining whether a link exists with the identified remote device via a second wireless medium, and identifying the identified via the second wireless medium; A processor that triggers a mode change and disconnects the active link via the second wireless medium if it is determined that there is an active link with the remote device;
Primary device with If it is determined that there is no link via the second wireless medium, trigger a mode change and establish a link with the identification device;
The primary device according to claim 5 . The mode change includes at least one of a change from a master polling mode to a reception mode, a change from a telephone communication mode to another active mode, and a change from an active polling mode to a power save mode.
The primary device according to claim 5 . An audible, visible or tactile indicator is activated to confirm the mode change in the primary device.
The primary device according to claim 5 . Means for receiving information including an identifier of the remote device from the remote device in response to scanning via the first wireless medium;
Means for identifying the remote device based on the received information;
Means for determining whether there is an active link with the identification device via a second wireless medium;
Means for triggering a mode change and disconnecting the active link over the second wireless medium if it is determined that there is an active link with the identified remote device over the second wireless medium When,
Primary device containing. On the computer,
Receiving information including an identifier of the device from the device in response to scanning through the first wireless medium;
Identifying the device based on the received information;
Determining whether there is a link with the identified device over a second wireless medium;
Triggering a mode change and disconnecting the active link via the second wireless medium if it is determined that there is an active link with the identified device via the second wireless medium; ,
A computer program that executes A system for controlling a remote device,
A remote device,
A primary device;
With
The primary device is configured to scan the remote device using a first wireless medium and communicate with the remote device via a second wireless medium;
The remote device senses a scan by the primary device, transmits information including identification information of the remote device in response to the scan and changes the mode;
Whether the primary device receives information from the remote device, identifies the remote device based on the received information, and whether there is an active link with the remote device over a second wireless medium; Judgment
If the primary device further determines that there is an active link with the identified remote device via a second wireless medium, it enters a mode change and an active link via the second wireless medium. A system characterized by disconnecting.

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